Home
Contact Us
About Us
Testimonials
In the Media - Videos

 

Before & After Gallery
Procedures at a Glance
      Face
      Breast
      Body
      Other
3D Animation

 

FAQ
Out-of-Town
Financing

 

 


Procedures Performed
  • Abdominoplasty
  • Breast Augmentation
  • Breast Lift
  • Breast Reduction
  • Liposuction
  • Face Lift
  • Neck Lift
  • Chemical Peel
  • Dermabrasion
  • Eyelid Surgery
  • Male Breast Reduction
  • Gynecomastia

 

Dr. Cruise serves the following areas:

  • Orange County,
  • Irvine,
  • Newport Beach,
  • San Diego,
  • Los Angeles,
  • Beverly Hills,
  • Southern California.

 

 

Breast Reconstruction

 

 

After the Breast Reconstruction Procedure

 

There are many variables that can change the length of the mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. If reconstruction is done with an implant, the entire procedure usually lasts around 4 to 5 hours. If a TRAM flap is used for reconstruction, the entire procedure usually will take from 6 to 8 hours.

 

Immediately. Immediately after the procedure you will wake up in a recovery room, where nurses will be monitoring you. After about an hour postoperatively, you can have friends and family visit you. You will have dressings and a surgical bra on. If you have had a TRAM reconstruction you will also have dressings around your abdomen and you will be in a flexed-forward position. You will be able to talk but, understandably, you will probably feel somewhat tired. Most likely you will have drains coming out of the surgical wounds to prevent fluid collection in your body. Approximately 2 hours after the operation, you will be transferred to the nursing floor.

 

The remainder of the post operative course is markedly different between the implant reconstruction and a TRAM flap reconstruction. The TRAM flap reconstruction is a much more involved surgery and usually requires a hospital stay of between 4 and 6 days, compared to an implant reconstruction hospital stay which is normally between 2 and 3 days.

 

With an implant reconstruction, you will possibly be up and walking the evening of surgery and certainly the next day. You are discouraged from doing active exercise with your arms, as this may cause implant mal position and/or bleeding. The drains are removed usually on the second or third day after the operation.

 

Normally you go home 2 or 3 days after the operation and are encouraged to walk around slowly. Going up and down stairs is discouraged for the first week. You may shower on the second post-operative day by just standing in the shower and letting the water gently flow over you. After the shower, you should apply bacitracin and surgical gauze and put on your surgical bra.

 

With TRAM flap reconstruction, recovery is much slower. You will remain in bed the evening after surgery but will be encouraged to breathe deeply and drink fluids. The next day you will be encouraged to walk around in a flexed- forward position with the help of a nurse. You will not be able to shower until about day 3 or 4. Depending on how quickly you will be able to get around on your own, you will usually go home 4 to 6 days after the operation. Normally the drains from your breast area will be removed on day 3 and the ones from your abdomen will probably remain until about 10 days after the operation.

When you go home, you will still be walking in a flexed-forward position. You will be able to shower and do your own dressing changes. Post operative medications and other protocol will be modified as necessary by Dr. Cruise with your recommendations.

 

Typically, it takes about 4 weeks until you will be able to get around normally without being too active. It will take about 3 months before you are able to actively flex your stomach muscles. Keep in mind that because one of the stomach muscles was used to recreate the breast, you may never regain stomach strength similar to what you had before the operation.

 

Nipple reconstruction and/or breast revision is performed 3 months later. It is not uncommon to perform a breast lift on the other breast in order to obtain symmetry. This will be discussed after the TRAM flap. Nipple reconstruction and breast revision are relatively small procedures and done with very little, or no pain. They are performed as an outpatient procedures and have almost no downtime. Breast-lifting of the other breast for symmetry is also an outpatient procedure but has a about one week downtime period.